By: Tyler Ward
The Nuggets announced Wednesday that Carmelo Anthony could very well be on the trade block. Denver offered Carmelo a 3 year/$65 million contract a few days ago. The Nuggets are looking for a long time commitment, but Carmelo hasn't responded to the Denver's offer. His contract runs up after this season and next year's free agent class could be "The Summer of Carmelo".
But, why would Denver even want to explore the possibility of trading one of their best players ever? Anthony's only 26 years old and in the prime of his career. He has led Denver throughout his career since being drafted in 2003. He has posted career averages of 24.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Anthony also helped the Nuggets get to the Western Conference Finals in the 2008-09 season.
It is unclear if Anthony will even get drafted. One possibility is the New York Knicks. New York is hoping to do something this year via free agency and if they fail, it could hurt the chances of Melo going to the Big Apple. The Knicks have expressed interest in signing Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire and if they get neither player, it could hurt the chances of Carmelo coming to the Knicks. The Knicks also have the expiring contract of underachiever, Eddy Curry, who is set to make over $10 million this year alone. Some teams are taking on expiring contracts, in hopes of getting a big free agent. Curry has played in a total of 10 games over the past two seasons and has further damaged the hopes of someday becoming one of the best big men in the league, after being taken 4th overall by Chicago in 2001. Carmelo, apparently, likes the young star, Danilo Gallinari, who was chosen by the Knicks via draft a few years ago. He wouldn't mind playing alongside Gallinari, but if a trade goes down, it'll most likely be the expiring contract of Curry and Gallinari or PF David Lee. It would definitely take a lot for New York or any other team to pry Melo away from Denver and I just don't see it happening.Coming out of Syracuse and fresh off a championship, Carmelo was one of the draft's highest rated players. Taken after LeBron James and the incompetent Darko Milicic, Anthony has proven that he is one of the NBA's most prolific players.His best statistical season came in the 2006-07 season, where Anthony put up averages of 28.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. However, Denver was knocked out of the playoffs in their first series. In the 08-09 season, he led the team to the Western Conference Finals where they ended up being beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers.
I think Carmelo will eventually leave Denver, but not now. They are a very capable contending team and he wants to win a championship there. But, if Denver wants to win, they will have to upgrade their roster, as they need help at more than one position. I don't think he will end up in New York period. Why? It's the Knicks. They have been the most disappointing team since 2000 and if he can't win a championship, what makes him think that he'd win one in New York? The Knicks are still rebuilding and with New York being the potential destination for high quality free agents, they could be on the right track. But, I think Carmelo signs some type of extension and will be in Denver for a little while longer.
